What Happened To Forever?
by thewarlockandtheshadowhunter
Summary: Lydia screams and Derek knows why. He just wishes that he didn't, because now he's losing everything again and the forever they dreamed of is over. Major character death. Written because my friend gave me a sad prompt. DISCLAIMER: I don't own Teen Wolf.


There was a scream, loud and piercing and filled with sorrow and Derek knew it was Lydia. The whole town could probably hear it. He knew it was her because he could see why she was screaming and oh God, why was this happening? He couldn't lose everything, not again.

But the universe wasn't listening. and his everything was on the ground, bleeding out with an arrow sticking out of his chest. It was like watching his house burn down all over again, unbearably slow and painful and he knew he couldn't do anything to stop it. No amount of water could stop the fire and no amount of bandages could fix Stiles now.

Derek ran, sprinting as fast as he could to get to Stiles because he wasn't letting him die alone. He'd take his pain away, he'd do anything, but he wasn't leaving him alone.

Finally reaching him, Derek knelt down on the ground, gingerly pulling Stiles into his arms; he didn't want to cause him anymore pain. "Stiles?" He said quietly, his voice thick with tears that he wasn't allowing to fall.

"M'here, big guy," Stiles croaked, seeming somewhat calm for someone who had an arrow sticking out of him. "M'here," he smiled faintly, his voice barely a whisper as he looked up at Derek.

Derek nodded, using one hand to gently cup Stiles' face as he held him close. "Stay. Please stay," he mumbled, desperately begging any deity that might reign over the world to let Stiles live, to just let him have this one thing. Everyone else was gone, cruelly taken away from him, he _needed _Stiles to stay.

"Sorry, sourwolf. I don't think that's an option," Stiles whispered, his voice weak and hoarse. "Not anymore."

Derek shook his head slightly - he wasn't accepting that. Stiles could stay, it was _Stiles. _Stupid, adorable Stiles who he needed so much, he couldn't just leave him. They were supposed to be forever, that was the deal. It was even inscribed on the inside of their rings. Derek remembered Stiles convincing him it would be a good idea, remembered rolling his eyes fondly behind Stiles at the jeweller's as he animatedly described what he wanted because it was Stiles and he couldn't ever stop being passionate and animated about everything. He remembered getting the rings a few days later, seeing Stiles' happy expression when he saw the inscription.

He remembered slipping it onto Stiles' finger as he said, 'I do' and making more promises than the priest could even begin to comprehend.

"Hey, listen to me," Stiles started, pulling Derek back to the present. "I love you. I love you so much, don't you dare forget it. And don't even think about reverting back to your old, grumpy ways because Scott's going to need you. And my dad. And if you leave them I will haunt your ass and don't think I won't," Stiles threatened and even when he was dying, Derek could practically feel the passion radiating off him as he spoke.

Derek nodded, "Wouldn't dream of it," he whispered, unable to talk any louder than that. "I love you. I love you so much, Stiles, please don't..." he couldn't finish the sentence Even thinking the word hurt in ways that Derek had never imagined possible, how was he supposed to cope in just a few minutes when Stiles' eyes, the same colour as whiskey in the sunlight and just as warm, were dull and lifeless?

"M'here forever. I promised. I don't break my promises," Stiles murmured, weakly moving one hand to the back of Derek's neck and pulling him forward for a gentle kiss that lasted only seconds. "Forever," he murmured again, his thumb weakly rubbing soothing circles on the back of Derek's neck.

"Forever," Derek agreed softly, knowing that they sounded like a stupid Hollywood movie cliche, but not caring one bit because he was with Stiles and even the stupidest things were okay because he was with Stiles.

"I love you," Stiles murmured and it suddenly hit Derek that his breathing was shallow and that his heart was starting to slow down. No, he wasn't ready...he needed more time...

"I love you so much. So, so much," Derek whispered just as the steady thrum that had once been Stiles' heartbeat stilled. "Stiles?" There it was. The look that Derek had been dreading, the lifeless and unseeing look of the dead. "Stiles?" He tried again, desperate and scared. The tears he had been holding back before started streaming down his face. "NO!" The shout was probably louder than Lydia's scream, the sound echoing in the air and repeating Derek's sorrow over and over for him to hear as he sobbed into Stiles' shoulder.

He had no idea how long it was, that he simply sat with Stiles in his arms, sobbing and shaking. However, eventually he heard footsteps, the fast run of someone who was experiencing fear and panic all at once. Finally, the footsteps came to a stop a few steps away from him. "Stiles?" Scott asked, and he sounded like the lost and confused teenager that Derek had met all those years ago. Derek hadn't looked up, couldn't look up as he heard Scott fall to his knees and completely break down beside him. The boy beside him kept on muttering "No," over and over and over again, like some kind of desperate prayer. Scott and Stiles had been inseperable, another forever that Stiles had planned to live out till the very end of time.

"I'm sorry," Derek murmured finally, Stiles still cradled in his arms.

"I'm sorry too," Scott replied quietly. Both men lapsed back into silence, tears still cascading down each of their faces.

Derek felt as though someone had dunked him into a freezing lake, the coldness numbing him but the water entering his lungs and setting him on fire from the inside. The analogy he had thought up inevitably made him think of Stiles, when they had hated each other and yet the younger boy had still held him up in a swimming pool for hours, stopping him from drowning when he could've easily followed through with his daily threat and left Derek to die. But he didn't. The stupid idiot had risked his own life holding him up in that goddamn pool and Derek hadn't even been able to save him when he really needed him.

"I'm so sorry," Derek murmured again and this time Scott stayed silent. The words weren't meant for him. "I'm so sorry, Stiles."


End file.
